We’ve seen a few markets in the cities we’ve visited in Sarawak. They carry the usual stock of fruit, vegies, fish and live chickens. One stall that stood out to me had a pile of roosters wrapped in tubes of paper with their crests all neatly aligned at one end. An occasional twitching claw was the only sign of discomfort, though I’m sure the roosters didn’t appreciate being captive so close to their competition.
Back in our hotel room that evening, the sound of crowing came from the next room. My mother says that they can’t crow without the room to puff up their chest and tip back their head, so it was unlikely that a paper-wrapped rooster lay on the table in there, but that image remains in my head.